In an air conditioning system utilizing zone temperature control, the spaces which are heated or cooled are divided into zones. Each zone has a thermostat which controls the position of a respective damper in the air duct servicing the respective zone. Temperature control is achieved by regulating the flow of conditioned air into the zone by the respective damper. Zone temperature control provides more precise temperature regulation in all of the spaces which are heated or cooled than does single point control wherein thermostats control only the operation of the fan and the heating and cooling compartment.
Even with zone temperature control, problems may arise in certain instances. For example, where the air conditioning unit is undersized for the building, one or more zones may receive less than adequate amounts of conditioned air. This undersupply problem can be compensated for, however, by providing those zones that would be undersupplied priority of the conditioned air flow over the other zones. Priority of one or more zones over the other zones can also be utilized to compensate for installations of air conditioning systems having inadequate ducting. Still another instance that can be compensated for through the use of priority is where the zone has a varying heat load, as in for example, a room having a western wall exposed to the afternoon summertime sun.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a temperature control system for an air conditioning system wherein one or more zones can be given priority of conditioned air flow over the other zones in the air conditioning system.